SIZING UP THE COMPETITION

Now then, I am totally, totally unlucky when it comes to the lottery, or draws, or pick-a-straw at the fair and all that sort of thing. It's all chance, isn't it? But what about writing competitions? I'm thinking short story ones here, not novels. Do you have a go? Do you think - as many do - that they are all subjective? I mean, if you are an athlete the first person over the line is the winner - there's no question that the third or fifth person (for example) just had rotten luck to have been wearing the wrong shoes or the breeze caught them just that little bit more sharply. Surprisingly, for someone who is not competitive in any way, I've entered a fair few writing competitions. I've won a fair few too - national and local. Prizes have varied between a couple of hundred pounds and a pat on the back. I have a vivid memory of winning a competition and being handed a little cup and a bunch of flowers to see a writer who didn't win stalk out with the immortal words - 'That's just one person's opinion!' Obviously she thought my story was rot. Most competition wins provided certificates of some sort to prove it was me. When I decided to write about short story writing competitions I thought I'd dig out all my old certificates. It may surprise you to know, seeing as this is a sort of bragging rights post of sorts, that none of them is framed! But I could only find the one and when I went to scan it so you could all see I am speaking the truth and not just being what I am, a writer of fiction, I couldn't get the scanner to work ... honestly. I've been on a couple of writing courses - one in Italy and the other in Corfu - and each time there was a little competiton, neither of which I won but it didn't matter a jot. I was there for the holiday as much as the tutition. Here I am in Corfu - where Katie Fforde, June Tate, and Angela Arney were the tutors. I did, however, go on to write a novel from an idea, spawned on that Corfu holiday by the little competition, which was subsequently published, so I'll count that as a competition win of sorts.

I am writing fewer and fewer short stories these days as novels seem to have taken over. I'm not likely to ever be put forward for the Man Booker, or any other big league competiton. Literary I am not ... I know my place - and my market. But I do still like to keep my hand in by writing a short story now and again. And while I might not be competitive I do like a challenge. I've just been given details of the Exeter Short Story Prize 2020. Hmm ... nice big prizes. Open to published and unpublished authors ... I might have a go. How about you? Go on - you can do it! http://www.exeterwriters.org.uk/p/competition.html